                                    {:français {:infinitive infinitive
                                                :exception true}}))))
                 
-                error (if (= :fail lookup-spec)
+                error (if (= :fail spec)
                         (throw (Exception. (str "conjugate was given conjugate-with=:fail; "
                                               "arg1="
                                               (strip-refs (dissoc-paths

                               (string/replace infinitive from to))))
                         regular-patterns))]
            (let [results (concat exceptional-surface-forms regulars [infinitive])]
              (first results))))))
  
(defn pre-conjugate [spec]

                                     prefix :prefix
                                     suffix :suffix
                                     unify-with :unify-with} %]
                                (if (not (= :fail (unify unify-with spec)))
                                  (cond (and (not (nil? prefix))
                                             (not (nil? suffix)))
                                        (str (get-in spec [:français prefix]) suffix)

                                        (not (nil? path))
                                        (get-in spec path)
                                        
                                        true (throw (Exception. (str "problem with irregular pattern:" %))))))
                             verbs/irregular-conjugations))
